Michael Petrin: Ephrem and Gregory of Nyssa on the Multitude of Divine Names: A Comparison

In patristic scholarship, the traditional assumption of a consensus Patrum has given way to an emphasis on early Christian diversity. Among the many beneficial effects of this shift has been a greater appreciation of the distinctive practices, beliefs, and modes of discourse among early Syriac-speaking Christians. Yet the distinctiveness of the Syriac tradition should not lead us to treat it in isolation from the rest of early Christianity. Indeed, even in the case of Ephrem, it has long been recognized that despite his condemnation of ‘the wisdom of the Greeks’, his theology shares many commonalities with the theology of some of his more philosophically minded contemporaries who wrote in Greek or Latin.In this communication, I will analyze and compare Ephrem and Gregory of Nyssa’s respective treatments of the multitude of divine names. I will discuss their shared emphasis on the incomprehensibility of God, and I will argue that, for both authors, the theological style of Scripture provides the basic model for the Christian use of many divine names. I will also contend that, despite their various differences in literary expression, both authors employ a combination of Scripture and Nature in seeking to learn more about the God who has revealed himself to humankind. Finally, I will argue that, for both Ephrem and Gregory, using many divine names is not a form of meddlesome investigation that seeks perfect knowledge of God, but is rather a pragmatic use of the gift of language in the pursuit of spiritual progress.